1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery charger for a vehicle having a feeding coupler adapted to be coupled to a receiver in the vehicle for charging the battery provided on the vehicle such as an electric automobile or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a charger for a vehicle, charging is performed by coupling a feeding coupler connected via a cable to a power source device (a power supply device) to a receiver (a receiving charging port) provided on a vehicle. Conventionally, an inductive system (an electromagnetic system induction) charger and a conductive system using different charging methods, are known.
For example, there has been proposed a charger for an inductive system as shown in FIG. 7.
The charger 71 comprises a power source device (a power supply device) 72 and a feeding coupler 74 attached to a distal end of a cable 73 extending from the power source device 72. The power source device 72 converts an alternating current supplied from a commercial alternating current power source into a charging alternating current (a predetermined frequency, a predetermined voltage) and outputs the alternating current so converted to the cable 73. A primary coil is built in the feeding coupler 74, and when the feeding coupler 74 is inserted in a receiver in the vehicle, an alternating current flows through the primary coil, and then current is induced in a secondary coil in the receiver under the action of electromagnetic induction, whereby charging is done.
A housing (outer casing) 75 of the power source device 72 is made of metal and comprises a base 76 and a bottomed tubular upper housing 77. Various electric circuit components for power and control systems (for example, a circuit board)(not shown) are mounted on the base 76. On the other hand, an indicator 78 and a coupler rest portion 79 where the feeding coupler 74 is inserted for rest are provided on the upper housing 77, and the indicator 78 is electrically connected to the electric circuit component, attached to the base 76, via wiring. A communication device is built in the feeding coupler 74 for communication with the receiver on the electric automobile to obtain information on the residual capacity of the battery when the coupler 74 is connected to the receiver on the vehicle. The communication device is controlled so as to be powered in a state in which the feeding coupler 74 is removed from the rest portion 79, and there is provided a sensor 80 for detecting the insertion or removal of the feeding coupler 74 into or from the rest portion 79. The sensor 80 is conventionally attached to the inner surface of the housing 75 for detecting the magnetism of a magnet located at a predetermined position in the feeding coupler 74.
The reason why the indicator 78 and the sensor 80 are mounted on the internal surface of the upper housing 77 is because the electric circuit components and electric apparatuses 78, 80 are completely covered with the metallic housing 75 for electromagnetic shielding.
Assembling the power source device 72 is done by placing the upper housing 77 on the base 76 so as to cover components to be accommodated therein such as the electric circuit components. When this occurs, the electric circuit components provided on the base 76 are required to be connected to the indicator 78 and the sensor 80 provided on the upper housing 77 via wiring before the upper housing 77 is completely placed on the base 76. To this end, for example, electric wires have to be made sufficiently long to complete the connection of the components before the upper housing 77 is placed on the base 76, or the connection has to manually be completed within the upper housing 77 which is being placed on the base 76. However, the longer electric wires cause a problem that the wires get entangled with the components and that the position of the wires changes within the housing 75. Additionally, with the method in which the electric wires are made short for connection at an intermediate position, not only it is difficult to connect the wires to each other but also there may be a risk that the wires become disconnected due to a load that would be applied thereto unless the upper housing is handled carefully. With both methods, the assembling operation has to be carried out carefully, and this makes assembling the power source device 72 very troublesome, decreasing the production efficiency (decreasing the productivity) of the chargers 71.